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Meniere's disease is a condition that affects your ears.

If you have Meniere's disease, you get attacks of:^{1 2 3}

• Dizziness, like the room is spinning (vertigo)
• Hearing loss.

During the attack, you may also get:

• Ringing, roaring or other sounds in your ears (tinnitus)
• Pressure or fullness in one ear or both ears.

We don't know exactly why people get Meniere's disease.

People who have Meniere's disease may have too much of a type of fluid called lymph in the inner ear.

But we don't know for sure if this extra fluid is what causes the disease.^{4 5}

Some people may get some of these symptoms because of another problem, such as an infection, a tumor (lump) or a broken bone near the ear. But with these problems, the symptoms usually happen all the time. With Meniere's disease, the symptoms usually come and go.

For more information, see Do I have Meniere's disease?

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.